1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to methods and apparatus for making low cost housing. More particularly, it relates to a modular building construction that requires neither special tools nor specialized skills.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been numerous attempts over the years to provide inexpensive commercial structures and low cost housing. Patents that disclose apparatus and methods for providing such structures or houses often employ cementitious materials due to the relatively low cost of such materials. Typically, building blocks are precast and assembled into a structure at a construction site. The building blocks may be relatively small, such as cinderblock size, or may be as large as an entire wall or floor.
Patents disclosing construction techniques that rely upon precast building blocks of relatively large size include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,979,863 to Hurley et. al. (contiguous wall panels are bolted to one another), 5,150,552 to Davis-Arzac (entire wall panels are either precast or poured at the site), and 4,443,985 to Moreno (the building blocks include precast concrete beams, columns, and floor slabs).
Patents that disclose small, cinderblock-size building blocks include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,024,035 to Hanson et. al. (building blocks interconnected to one another by tongue and groove fittings so that mortar is not needed; limited to wall construction), 3,600,862 to Eckert, 4,884,382 to Horobin, and many others.
Other inventors have developed building blocks that are light-in-weight to facilitate construction and which exhibit good insulation properties. Examples of such building blocks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,831,802 to Cromrich et. al. (an outer layer is formed from conventional bricking clay and a second, insulative layer is formed of clay and expanded vermiculite), 4,306,395 to Carpenter (large polystyrene beads are dispersed throughout an aqueous cementitious mixture), 3,653,170 to Sheckler (a heat-insulating organic foam is sandwiched between masonry parts of the block), and 5,290,356 to Frankowski (recycled scrap rubber crumbs are admixed with cement-like materials).
Although these earlier contributions advanced the construction art at the time of their creation, most of them require skilled laborers to complete a structure and the use of special tools. For example, the building blocks are usually bolted together or joined to one another with mortar. Perhaps even more importantly, the correct way to assemble the component parts is not readily apparent, and knowledgeable construction supervisors must therefore be present on the job site at all times, just as in conventional housing construction. Moreover, some of the designs do not teach the workers how to include windows and doors; accordingly, the workers must summon experienced door and window installers whenever a window or door installation is needed.
Moreover, little or no consideration has been given to building materials made from miscellaneous waste materials including uninsulated aggregates.
In view of the prior art as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the construction industry how the art could be further advanced.